Tie A Knot
by NatesMama
Summary: A one-shot done in 20 minutes, about a different ending to the Season Five/Season Six "everyone is leaving" story.


A quick note: I wrote this, as a challenge to myself, starting at 11:40 PM on New Years Eve, with the intention of finishing it by midnight. When you see the quality of the story, you'll see that I accomplished that goal. It isn't great, but it's done. LOL

~NM

* * *

Tie A Knot

Booth sat in the last pew of his local church, loosely holding his rosary and debating whether or not he should even be there. Having just returned from Afghanistan the week before, he was still assimilating back into his regular life…although, with Bones still out of the country he hadn't gotten completely back to normal. The FBI wanted him back as soon as possible, but he still had a few weeks left in his leave and he was determined to take them. And after speaking with Brennan a few hours before, he knew he was going to need the time.

They had kept in touch through email the entire time they were apart, and although Bones had mentioned her colleague, Dr. Mark Winchell in passing, Booth had never really taken note of the man. Until Angela had called him two weeks ago to let him know that Brennan wasn't going to be able to make their date at the coffee cart because she had gone directly from the dig in Indonesia to Costa Rica. When Booth had asked why, assuming there was another anthropological discovery she was needed for, Angela had hemmed and hawed, uncharacteristically enough. When he finally got the truth out of the artist, he almost wished he'd left his entire knowledge of the situation to his initial assumption. Bones had run off for a romantic getaway with her new boyfriend. When Brennan herself finally deigned to call him, she had sounded so happy and free he was loath to ruin it for her, so he smiled through gritted teeth and told her he would see her when she returned.

He now understood why he'd always thought guys who said, "I only want you to be happy" were a bunch of pussies.

* * *

Two weeks later, Booth was sitting at his desk at the Hoover when a voice he hadn't heard in over a year filtered through the office.

"Hi Booth."

His head jerked up, a smile crossing his face without his permission as he stood and crossed to welcome her home. "Hey Bones, I didn't think you were ever coming back!"

"Yes, well…" She moved forward, arms extended, until she realized that Booth had actually stepped backwards away from her. Hurt crossed her face for a moment, before she was able to school her features and paste on a neutral look. "My plans changed. I'm sorry I missed our meeting at the coffee cart."

Nodding, Booth moved back to sit behind his desk. "Yeah, well…when you get a better offer…."

"But I didn't!" Brennan clapped her hand over her mouth, eyes wide. She hadn't meant to confess her deception to Booth so quickly, even though it had been gnawing at her for a month.

Brennan watched, frozen, as realization dawned on Booth slowly. She couldn't remove her hand from her mouth, and she couldn't move. His eyes narrowed as he leaned forward, holding himself over his desk on just the tips of his fingers.

"What was that?" Booth's voice was low and dangerous.

Shaking her head frantically, Brennan continued to refuse to speak.

"Bones…" Booth stood straight, and walked slowly around his desk, like a predator stalking its prey. "You had better explain what you just said, because I don't have the patience for this any longer."

Brennan removed her hand from her mouth and nodded. "I'm sorry, Booth." Moving to sit down on the chair closest to her before her legs gave out, she continued. "I know I let Angela believe that Mark and I were…that he was my…but that wasn't true."

Booth took the chair next to her, confusion and anger still warring on his features. "Why, Bones? I don't understand why you would deliberately try to hurt me like that. I mean, it's not bad enough that…"

"Who is Hannah?" Brennan blurted suddenly.

Booth paled slightly, but recovered quickly. "Hannah? She's nobody, a reporter I met in Afghanistan. We became friends, that's all."

"Just friends? Because Cam made it sound like…"

Booth sighed. "Alright, I might have _slightly_ exaggerated my relationship with Hannah. I just…I wanted…"

Brennan nodded. "I did the same thing. I know."

Booth chuffed out a laugh. "How pathetic are we?"

"So pathetic." Brennan grinned.

"Want to analyze why we did all this?"

Brennan shook her head. "No, thank you. Not right now."

Booth nodded in agreement. "Coffee? Diner?"

"Definitely."


End file.
